Still There For Me

The rest of the day in New York was a pain in the butt. The meeting for Sidney went terribly and he was pretty upset that nothing went further. While he was doing that I brought the kids shopping with Tanya and her two boys. We were nervous not knowing what was going on but we needed to get out of that hotel. We get to leave tonight to go back home to the Burgh and I knew it was going to be a bitch of a drive home with him being so grumpy.

I drove home and when we got home, he put the kids to bed. We promised the Staals to see them as soon as possible, and I was sad I couldn’t see them longer. Hell, I just want to see Heather. We have a FaceTime date coming up shortly anyway. He put the kids to bed and went silently to his own bed. I know better than to try and bug him.

**One Week Later**
Sidney is still being a sour puss and it’s driving me nuts. Thankfully we are home for Thanksgiving dinner and he can have a great distraction. We’ll be here for two weeks, surely to God that’ll smarten him up!

“Where are my babies and grandbabies!?” Trina yelled walking in the door with Troy following. Kylie saw her and ran up to her quickly, jumping into her arms. Sidney went to greet his parents and help them with their groceries. I was in the kitchen trying to help with a meal.

“We have a Taylor sighting!” he joked, hugging his sister. She’s been quite the busy girl with her own hockey career in the making.

“No way, I have got to see this!” I laughed, coming out of the kitchen. “Ah! You’re here! How’s it going girlie?” I hugged her.

“Good! Are you cooking?”

“Yeah, what's so shocking about that?”

“Don’t kill me with your food,” she joked.

“Hey! I’ve gotten to be a good chef! Right Sid?”

“That’s why I make my own meals?” he joked, causing everyone to laugh.

“Thanks A-hole,” I joked. Ty was content playing in his playpen, standing up and everything. So of course Taylor was with him and Kylie, while Sid and Troy talked in his office in this house, and Trina was helping me.

“How’s everything at home in Pittsburgh?”

“It’s very challenging at the moment,” I said, focusing on the mashed potatoes, while she worked on the turkey.

“Whys that? Talk to me.”

“I can tell Sidney’s getting frustrated and I don’t know what to do right now. Like, it kills me to see him like this and I know him better than anyone else. So it’s really frustrating not knowing what I can do as his best friend and girlfriend to help him get through this.”

“I know what you mean. He’s obviously taking this harder than most times and I know it’s hard for you to deal with. Plus you guys kept yourselves busy with doing home renovations and all that stuff so you don’t necessarily have anything else you can really do around the house, and you both have a good grip on the kids.”

“Exactly, and he’s doing his regular training, as much as he can, but I feel like he’s really tense.”

“Does he see a masseuse?”

“Not at the moment no. He’s not allowed to see his regular.”

“Try hiring someone privately and see if that helps with him. I know it does for a lot of others. Plus, you do have that little spa room so maybe that could help Ash. Do you find your relationship hurting from this?”

“Not really. I know that it’s hard for him to balance everything and I know how he gets when he’s upset or frustrated so I’m just tolerating it for now because I know there’s no changing him in that sense, and this’ll pass eventually.”

“See? That’s good thinking. Are you finding it harder with two kids?”

“Kind of. We have our moments where it gets crazy but we’re doing a great job working as a team together. Though I’ve noticed he is starting to turn down the whole marriage thing.”

“Really? I thought you two were smitten with each other and that’s what you both wanted.”

“We do, but I think he’s feeling so pressured in general that I don’t think he wants to even think about that right now. And I don’t blame the guy. It just hurts me because I know that’s what we’ve been aiming for and we had talked about it for so long, and now if it’s mentioned he shrugs it off. I just want that conversation with him where he tells me he wants it so that I know if he’s rude about it to other people it’s just an act,” I replied, starting to feel the tears.

“Yeah, and you guys are getting pressured to get engaged. I see it all the time on TV, in magazines and I even get asked it by people I meet. You’re being strong for him and the kids like a good mommy is, and you’re doing a great job. Don’t beat yourself over it.”

“I’m trying my hardest not to Trina. Plus, now the press is asking my daughter this stuff and she asks some questions about it, despite her being so young, but she’s extremely talkative for her age and I’m just sad that she’s going through it too.”

“And that’ll stop soon enough. She knows better than to talk to them.”

“Heck yes she does. I’d kick her butt to Kansas,” I joked.

If you can’t talk to your boyfriend, who else could you talk to about him other than his mother? She knows him best next to me.

After our talk in the kitchen I had to tend to my aching breasts, even 6 months after giving birth they still kill and my milk is almost gone! Sidney came up to check on me and I could tell he was shaken by the conversation. They’re close as close can get, but I can tell when they butt heads, and normally I hear about it.

“How’s your boobs?” he asked, coming into the bathroom and watching me put a face cloth on them.

“Sore. How are things going down there?”

“Good. I missed my family so damn much you have no idea,” he smiled leaning his head back.

“Is that a smile I see from Sidney Crosby?” I smiled, causing him to smile even more. “It is a smile I see from Sidney Crosby!”

“Don’t hug me while you’re fixing yourself,” he giggled, while I tried to give him a hug.

“You know you like em.”

“Not when they’re like that!”

“But you really are having a good time?”

“Yeah. It’s just what I needed.”

“I’m glad, now go downstairs with your family so they don’t think we’re having a quickie.”

“Oh, I don’t do quickies, I go for a long time,” he air humped while walking out.

“Ou, dat ass!” I laughed, fixing myself.

The rest of the day was great. We went outside to take some family pictures in the leaves, a tradition on both sides, and ate a great meal. Thank God I had help from Trina, cuz Taylor is right, I can’t cook that fancy of a meal yet! But now that it’s all over and the kids are asleep and I want to be too.

I love this bed more than anything, so I should be a happy camper tonight. While pulling my sheets back, Sid laughed at my outfit. “What the hell are you wearing?”

“What!? I like these pj’s!”

“You never wear a matching two piece button up fleece thing to bed.”

“Well, I like it a lot better that wearing nothing. I’m freezing cold.”

“So you decided on those?”

“Well I like my jammies,” I laughed, crawling into bed.

“Body heat warms you up more though.”

“Well if you end up getting me naked tonight then maybe. Did you have a good talk with your daddy today?”

“Yeah. He asked me the much buzzed about question.”

“I think you should just propose to me if everyone keeps pressuring you like that,” I winked, hoping it would help me get along further.

“I will when the time comes,” he said, laying on his stomach, showing off his sexy shoulders.

“But when will it come?”

“Soon.”

“I’m starting to feel like you don’t want that anymore,” I joked, secretly being somewhat serious.

“I know that I want to marry you, just now isn’t a good time to get engaged. We both have a lot going on and we don’t need that stress.”

“But you could just get me the ring and I’ll shut up,” I teased, snuggling into him more.

“You know if I just got you an expensive ring that wasn’t meant to be an engagement ring you’d feel bad. You hate when I buy you things.”

“Well yeah. Cuz you never need to do those things!”

“But you’re my best friend, and I love you and you deserve it,” he played with my hands. “Just not in those pj’s.” He rolled over and turned off the light.

“I swear you have a sponsorship for Haterade.” We were both laying on our backs staring at the ceiling.

“It's Gatorade, and it’s paying the bills for now.”

“God bless that drink. It’s the best for hangovers.”

“You drunk.”

“You girl.”

He turned on the lights. “Do I need to show you my dick?”

“I’m good,” I laughed.

“Fine, you won’t get sex later tonight then,” he rolled back over to turn off the light.

“I know it’ll happen eventually. All because of my sexy pj’s!” I danced.

“Oh God.”

The old Sidney is back!

Notes

Outfit of the chapter: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=120072747
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! How you guys liking the story so far? Your feedback helps me figure out what root to go and how quickly I should update! Thank you so much for reading :)